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A Financial Reward for Your Work

Years spent toiling away, hitting the books, living off of pennies and looking to the horizon for that day when you will land your dream job. This is what the American Dream is all about, isn’t it? Study hard, work hard, and someday you will achieve success. Many pessimists will tell you that this dream doesn’t exist anymore, that it is a thing of the past. Don’t believe these naysayers, for you can make it work, with a bit of direction and a little help from well-intentioned organizations waiting for people just like you to come knocking on their door.

As any observant American knows, the last 7 years have been tumultuous. College graduates who once had recruiters calling their cell phone, filling up their voicemails, and even knocking on their door, are now left to fend for themselves. Individuals with graduate level degrees can be seen with a name-tag attached to their vintage tee-shirt at grocery stores, retail outlets, and other places of business they thought they would only be frequenting to shop. This doesn’t have to be you, does it? You could try an unpaid internship after college. Though some students will opt for the internship route, there are other options. Internships are often a way for companies to gain valuable team members for a period of time without paying them much, if anything. Though some of us can tout our ability to work for free, not everyone has Grandma, or Mom and Dad footing the bill. In the recent years, the corporate world has seen many cases go to court involving the improper treatment of interns. According to The New York Times, interns working for the major magazine “W” claimed they were paid below minimum wage for their efforts. Who, if anyone could live in one of the most expensive cities in the world on a minimum wage, much less a salary below that point? Is it fair for huge corporations and nonprofits who are paying their CEO’s untold amounts of cash to compensate their interns with such a lack of respect for hard work?

Don’t take this risk, skip the unpaid internship and try something more appealing to the pocket book. No one can walk away from the day with pennies and feel good about their efforts, especially when you mix in the fact that many of these unpaid interns are treated unfairly. Human beings aren’t meant to toil away with no reward!

What do I propose you do about this dilemma you ask? The job market is tough. It is a fierce fight in the job market, where only the best, and most well-connected win, right? Not necessarily. You have options. We live in a country full of small, well-intentioned, community-based nonprofits, headed by individuals who dedicate their lives to helping others. We are privileged to have access to these programs, so why not take advantage of this opportunity?

Next time you shake that piggy bank to hear the soul-wrenching sound of that one penny clinking around, and you feel like experience in the bank isn’t the same as money in the bank, check out America’s Future Workforce. The individuals supporting this operation actually want to help you. They don’t have anything in the game but their well-intentioned desire to create a better world for tomorrow’s generations. They help you get on your feet, gain whatever training you may need and set you on the right path to achieve your dream.